Please see also: Part I
Readers, so far you know that my husband and I were looking to replace our dilapidated couch. We had looked in four different stores and had not found exactly what we wanted for our budget. We settled on Store A so I went back to purchase a sofa and loveseat set. Now, sit back and read the exciting conclusion to my journey.
I spoke to a salesman as soon as I walked into the store and told him what I wanted. He went to check the computer and they had the set in stock. He went to check the delivery date for that set…and did not have anything for three weeks! Well that was going to be too late — we had to have the furniture soon! So he offered to show me a different set that was similar to the one we had chosen. I did not like the color, so he checked the second set for a more neutral color and found one. Again…not a delivery date for three weeks! I was about at my end. However, the salesman was quite nice and was trying to help me find what I wanted. So, he showed me another set in a greenish color. I sat on it and liked it even better than the initial set. He checked to see if they had it in beige, and they did! Now for the delivery date…ONE WEEK! Finally! So as he was filling out my information, he told me about their seven-year warranty. This was going to cost me another $120, but it covered stains and damage no matter how they got there. When I seemed hesitant, he offered to knock $50 from the original price of the set. So I took it.
We had our furniture delivered one week ago and it is perfect. I couldn’t like a set of furniture any more. In fact, I have fallen asleep on it several times and do not have one complaint!
Having said all of that, here are some tips to follow when you are buying new furniture. I call these tips “The 3 K’s.”
1. Know what you want. Go into the store with an idea of what you are looking for. What kinds of features do you want your furniture to have? Are there specific colors you have in mind? This way you can let the salesperson know specifically what you want. That should make the process of him/her helping you faster.
2. Keep some alternatives in mind. If the store has a website, check it out. Chances are that if you keep several choices in mind (or on a piece of paper), the store will have one of your choices in stock. Otherwise, you could end up waiting a good two months to get your furniture delivered. Of course, if you have the time, go for it.
3. Know how much you are willing to spend. What is the maximum amount that you can afford to spend on your new furniture? Make sure that you take into consideration how much you may be spending on delivery charges, any warranties, and tax.
If you follow these tips, the furniture buying experience should be a fairly painless one. If it’s not, you can blame it on me.